6 Practical Skills That Make Inspiring Leaders

How they achieve success with the help of others.

When Indra Nooyi took over as CEO of PepsiCo in 2006, the outlook for the company was precarious. Nooyi used her new position to publicly address the challenges the company was facing directly.

“The one thing I’ve learned is: Don’t lie to the people,”she said. “Don’t tell your people one thing when the reality is something different.”

Her determination to tell the truth wasn’t just limited to speeches.

Nooyi led a team of PepsiCo executives on a daylong trip to various retail and restaurant vendors, painstakingly pointing out and photographing every merchandising mistake so that it could be given to the person who made the error.

“We ought to keep pushing the boundaries to get flawless execution,” she said.

“Flawless is the ultimate goal.” This plain-spoken candor was not always well received. It was however, an enormous factor in Nooyi’s success at PepsiCo.

She proved her critics wrong as revenue at PepsiCo increased from 35 billion in 2006 to $63.5 billion in 2017, with shareholders seeing a 162 percent return.

Nooyi’s fearless leadership style of saying what you mean, being true to your word and focusing nonstop on the details proved to be effective and benefited the entire company.

Powerful leaders inspire movements that come together only when people choose to move in the same direction. The leader’s job is inspire people to work together in service of a goal that is greater than each individual team member.

To be a first-rate leader, you must move people through your words and actions to believe in a common vision. Some people feel that leadership is exerting power over others.

A genuine leader has the ability to encourage their team members to commit and engage toward the leader’s common vision for success everyday. This kind of continuous effort paves the way for the team to achieve greater levels of accomplishment.

With that in mind, here are six skills that inspiring leaders possess.

They have a clear vision for the future.

“The companies that survive the longest are the one’s who work out what they can uniquely give to the world — not just growth or money but their excellence, their respect for others, or their ability to make people happy. Some call those things a soul.” — -Charles Handy

Inspiring leaders can articulate a vision so clear that you think it is destined to become reality. Through beliefs, words and actions inspirational leaders put forth what their ideal version of the future looks like and show others how to achieve it.

To truly inspire, know exactly what you want accomplish.

They are positive and optimistic.

“Virtually nothing on earth can stop a person with a positive attitude who has his goal clearly insight.” — Denis Waitley

Inspiring leaders are optimistic and hopeful in the face of challenging problems. They understand that pessimism accomplishes nothing so they remain positive when challenges or failures happen.

They face each challenge directly with humility and determination to show others where and how the situation can be improved.

To truly inspire, show others the positive way forward.

They have gratitude for their team members.

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.” — -John F. Kennedy

Inspiring leaders recognize their team members hard work and dedication for the effort they give everyday. Nothing drains commitment from a team like feeling what they do goes unnoticed.

Leaders who don’t express their gratitude risk having lower output and the loss of team members to other jobs.

Small gestures of gratitude such as personal notes expressing thanks for a job well done go a long way to boosting team members appreciation and loyalty.

To truly inspire, show people they matter.

They communicate clearly.

“Don’t make assumptions. Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.” — Don Miguel Ruiz

Inspiring leaders know that taking the right amount of time with each communication they express ensures that everyone is in agreement and moving forward.

If what a leader is communicating is misunderstood, mistakes and problems occur. Inspiring leaders take as long as they need to express what they want done and keep repeating it until it becomes second nature to everyone.

When this is not done, frustrations mount, projects turn out wrong and feelings are hurt.

To truly inspire, spend the right amount of time making sure what you communicate is understood.

They are trusted by the team.

“The first job of the leader at-work or at home-is to inspire trust. It’s to bring out the best in people by entrusting them with meaningful stewardship’s and to create an environment in which high-trust inspires creativity and possibilities.” — Stephen Covey

Inspiring leaders live honestly and in integrity with what they promise. Team members and customers are likely to leave when trust is lost. This happens when success becomes the number one priority at the expense of everyone else’s well being.

When team members take pride in their leadership and who they work for, inspiration is created and becomes contagious.

To truly inspire raise your trust level.

They listen attentively.

“Listening is about being present, not just about being quiet.” — Krista Tippett

Inspiring leaders listen to what is said to them and respond without judgement in an appropriate way. Hearing someone speak is not the same as listening to what they have to say.

Create and environment in which you encourage feedback from your team including one one one meetings. This infuses the organization with a shared sense of value because everyone is respected, participates, and feels important.

To truly inspire, listen to hear, comprehend, and learn.

Inspiring leaders create passion for the vision of the organization and an eagerness to achieve the goals that are connected to that vision.

They help us understand why we are going in their particular direction and how to achieve the outcome that has been communicated to everybody.

Leaders who take the time to analyze practical methods of leadership, work diligently to implement them, and build inclusive communication skills are on the right track to achieve success.

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